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Teachers press for timely bargaining; parents and community members raise hiring, safety and communication concerns
Summary
Public commenters urged prompt contract negotiations and fair pay, highlighted a district Thanksgiving food drive match, and raised staffing and communication problems — including a New Market Elementary parent who alleged disrespect and language‑based exclusion by a front‑office secretary.
During the public‑comment portion of the Nov. 5 San Bernardino City Unified board meeting, several speakers pressed district leaders on personnel, hiring and school‑level concerns.
Barbara Pastichek Cox, identified as president of the San Bernardino Teachers Association, spoke for the union’s roughly 3,097 members and urged the district to prioritize negotiations now that a new assistant superintendent of human resources is in place. She said the union expects the district "to prioritize these negotiations, demonstrating the mutual respect our educators have earned and moving swiftly to reach a timely and fair agreement." She also announced SBTA would match $3,000 toward a district food drive, seeking a total of $6,000 in grocery gift cards to support families at Thanksgiving.
Two community presenters highlighted staffing and hiring issues. Mark Lawrence told the board district hiring assessments are outdated and short eligibility windows penalize long‑term substitutes. "Some of the tests are extremely out of date," he said, citing questions about obsolete technologies and urging a longer eligibility period and audit of testing vendors.
Parent Antonet Hatch delivered a detailed complaint about New Market Elementary’s front office. Hatch named the secretary (Dena Carreras) and said she had witnessed repeated dismissive behavior, said Carreras ‘‘answers the phone with an attitude’’ and that Spanish‑speaking parents are ignored. Hatch also alleged unresolved bullying incidents affecting her daughter and raised a safety concern that students were assigned to open exterior doors during the school day. She asked the board to review front‑office conduct, address a culture of fear around reporting, and take student safety and parent communication seriously.
What the board recorded: The board did not take immediate personnel action during the meeting. Several board members and staff acknowledged the comments and requested follow up; the meeting’s follow‑up list includes items about staffing review and improved reporting of outcomes.
Why it matters: Labor negotiations affect teachers’ pay and classroom staffing; outdated hiring tests and short eligibility windows can create operational gaps; and front‑office conduct and unresolved bullying allegations raise equity and safety concerns that trustees and administrators must address as part of district oversight.
Follow up requested: The board agenda’s action list records requests for staff to respond to the SBTA’s bargaining posture and to investigate the parent’s claims and report back to the board.
